Are you hoping to increase your diversity and inclusion efforts either at work or home? Use our November 2021 multicultural calendar! This will help increase your knowledge and guide your planning. The holidays are officially upon us, and there’s far more than Thanksgiving to be aware of. Keep reading for more information!
Native American Heritage Month
This annual celebration focuses on celebrating rich and diverse cultures, traditions, and histories. You may also hear it referred to as American Indian and Alaska Native Heritage Month. Either way, it’s viewed as a perfect time to educate the public about various tribes and their important contributions. Depending on where you live, this may be the perfect time to research the native tribes that live near you and how they’ve impacted the history of your state.
Movember
Movember is all about men! This month-long annual event raises awareness of men’s health issues, including prostate cancer, testicular cancer, and men’s suicide. Visit here to learn more about how you can participate.
10/31-11/2: All Saints Day
Also known as All Souls Day or Día de Los Muertos, this Christian holiday honors all the saints of the church that have attained heaven. Those of Mexican and Aztec descendent remember and honor their deceased loved ones with elaborately decorated altars. If you’ve never celebrated this holiday before, research more about the celebrations and try celebrating it yourself.
11/4: Diwali
Diwali is a key Hindu celebration that praises diverse deities in the faith. It’s a five-day Festival of Lights that’s celebrated by millions of Hindus, Sikhs, and Jains worldwide. Here are a few ways you can celebrate Diwali:
- Clean your house on or before the first day of the festival
- Draw footprints to scatter through your home on the first day
- Shop for new clothes, jewelry, and utensils
11/16: International Day for Tolerance
This holiday was started by the United Nations. It aims to promote respect for diverse religions, languages, cultures, and ethnicities. Education is one of the best ways to counter intolerance and to stop negative stereotyping. In honor of this day, investigate unconscious bias training, so that you can become a more tolerant person in all aspects of your life.
11/16: Dutch American Heritage Day
On this day, the longstanding friendship between the U.S. and the Netherlands is commemorated. The Netherlands was one of the very first countries to recognize the U.S. as being sovereign from Great Britain. Important Dutch American political figures in history include Presidents Martin Van Buren, Warren G. Harding, Theodore Roosevelt, and Franklin D. Roosevelt.
11/20: Transgender Day of Remembrance
This annual observance memorializes those murdered because of transphobia. Some important ways you can support transgender individuals include listening and trusting their experiences, using their language, and practicing active allyship with cultural competency training online.
11/28-12/6: Hanukkah
Hanukkah is the 8-day and 8-night celebration that honors the Jewish triumph over Syrian Greeks. It commemorates Jewish independence, and it’s often called the “Festival of Lights.” If you have any close Jewish friends, ask if you can share one of the nights of celebration with them. It often involves lighting the menorah as well as traditional foods, games, and gifts.
Final thoughts
November is an exciting month with holidays for lots of different people. Explore more ways to celebrate outside of your own bubble and continue to connect with those in your community. You can also get a head start on the rest of the year with our 2021 Diversity Calendar.